Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1887-08-11
THE ENGLISH IN AFRICA.
Tho ProgrcssIveness which tho British
Brought to tho Dark Continent.

Tho ProgrcssIveness which tho Britain
Brought to the Dark contineat
Neither the progressiveness Of the
Moliammed an Arab nor the Protest
ant Dutch were match for that su-
perior progressiveness which the
British brought to the development Of
South Africa. BY fair means or foul
and foul much Of it was, forsooth--
they have gradually disposscsscd the
Dutch of ncarly-all their valuable pos
sessions. In 1796 they dispossessed
the Dutch Government Of the Cape,
and In 1925 virtually confscated moro
than half the property of the Beers
who remained. by compelling the hold
ers Of their paper six dollars which
they had issued for four shillings, to
accept one shilling and six pence
each for them. In 1886 tho
Boers abandoned the Cape and
eight thousand of them founded the
FREQ republic Of tho Transvaal. Even
hero the British pursued them. and
they cmigratcd westward toward tho
Orange river In 1852 the British Gov
crnmcnt was induced To acknowledge
the independence Of the Transvaal
Republic; yet, when some twenty-five
years later it was discovered TO contain
diamond fields. the Transvaal was
forcibly annexed to the crown Of En-
gland by Sir 4. Shepstono. This oc-
Cured in 1877. Other cncroachmcnts
arc still going on, and within the COM
ing half-ccntury it is quito probable
that the British flag will wave over the
most valuable and salubrious portion
of the African continent, namely. the
entire table lands from the Cape of
Good Hope TO the line Of the Zambesi
and Congo. Nor is this result to be
deplorcd. The Arabian, the Portuguese
and tho Dutch have all failed TO develop
tho natural resources of Africa Tho
British alone have scorned to enslavo
tho natives and gone to work with
their own stout hands and hearts.
Nor is it TO be supposed that its
greater proximity to TO the equator
renders South Africa less fit for Anglo
Saxon colonization than Europe or
North America. The mean altitude of
all Europe is but OIL. 4l feet above tho
sea and this, believe. is greater than
North America. On the other hand,
Africa has mean altitude Of no less
than 2, 100. 93 feet. SO that the climate
Of the table lands In latitude 20 in
South Africa Is as bracing and healthy
as that OF latitude forty In Europe.
| Mr.. Salt was among the earliest Of
English explorers In South Africa;
then followed Captain Botelor in 1928.
Liyingstona,Le 1857, Hartley in 1865
end mr. !,esOS.S' nthnrs since. Hartley 8
I q xpl6rations led TO the re-ulscv,v,y q
i tho Tati mot Tete) gold field. longi-
tude 2S, latitude 2l.30 and to the in
vcstigations Of Karl Manch in 1866.
and the mining bubble Of 1869-70.
Among the failures Of this period was
tho London and Liverpool Mining
Company, headed by Sir John Swim.
. burne. Bart This venture was In the
Tati region.
After this. about 1S71-73. new line
of re-discovcrics led TO other bubbles.
Leydenberg and Pilgrims Rest dis.
tricts, both on Bancto's old line OF
, march, and both explored by his one
thousand greedy followers, were
opened to Anglo-Saxon enterprise. In
!, 1873 this line was pushed northward ia
, Batua (ZumbaoD, and It has since
: boon pursued TO tho Zambesi river
Last year, 1886. q letter from this city
) was published in the London Times
| which gave markod impetus to Tho
: mining boom. Concealing the fac
A that the whole Of Sofala and Mono
r motupa has been repeatedly explored
: for gold-frst by ancient civilized race
or races; second. by tho Arabs, ant
third, by the Portugueso-and bcstow
Ing now and unpronounceablc name.
upon wcll-known localities, tho latte
proceeded TO show how much gold wa
S being and was going to bo shippc'
s from these places through Capetowl
n 10 England. 1t predicted an export II
r 1887 of little less than 81. 900. 900. cqua
d TO about onc-third tho entire produc
0 of California So enormous and sud
: den a production as this PROMISE
Il mcrited investigation. and II was wit
|. this view that camo to Capctown. S
n far Us have been as yet able to asccl
y tain, the Times letter has but sma
1t foundation in fact However. th
% country is extensive and tho minin
Is districts numerous. and much remain
}. vet to bo seen. .-Alez. Del Mur. Ia Sd
D. francisco Chronicle. fo e.l